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Communication |
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The superior man is modest in his speech,
but excels in his
actions.
Speak the
truth, do not yield to anger;
give, if thou art asked for little; by these three steps thou wilt go
near the gods.
Silence is a true friend who never betrays...
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Relationships |
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Do not impose on others what you yourself
do not desire.
It is not the failure of others to
appreciate your abilities that should trouble you, but rather your
failure to appreciate theirs.
Never give a sword to a man who can't
dance...
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Governance |
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To govern is to be correct. If you
set an
example by being correct, who would dare remain incorrect?
In a country well governed, poverty is
something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is
something to be ashamed of.
The strength of a nation derives from the
integrity of the home...
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Character & Personality
By nature, men are nearly alike; by
practice, they get to be wide apart.
The superior man is firm in the right way, and not merely firm.
The superior man thinks always of virtue;
the common man thinks of comfort.
The will
to win, the
desire to
succeed, the urge to reach your full potential... these are the keys
that will unlock the door to
personal excellence.
Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first
principles.
Everything has its beauty but not everyone
sees it.
The superior man is satisfied and composed;
the mean man is always full of distress.
The superior man...does not set his mind
either for anything, or against anything; what is right he will follow.
There are three things which the superior
man guards against. In youth...lust. When he is
strong...quarrelsomeness. When he is old...covetousness.
To see what is right, and not to do it, is
want of
courage or of
principle.
Without an acquaintance with the rules of
propriety, it is impossible for the character to be established.
In his errors a man is true to type.
Observe the errors and you will know the man.
When we see men of worth, we should think
of equaling them; when we see men of a contrary character, we should
turn inwards and examine ourselves.
He with whom neither slander that gradually
soaks into the mind, nor statements that startle like a wound in the
flesh, are successful may be called intelligent indeed.
With coarse rice to eat, with water to
drink, and my bended arm for a pillow – I have still joy in the midst of
these things. Riches and honors acquired by unrighteousness are to me as
a floating cloud.
Achievement
Wheresoever you go,
go with all your heart.
Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your
life.
If you shoot for the stars and hit the
moon, it's OK. But you've got to shoot for something. A lot of people
don't even shoot.
The man who moves a mountain begins by
carrying away small stones.
It does not matter how slowly you go so
long as you do not stop.
Things that are done, it is needless to
speak about...things that are past, it is needless to blame.
To go beyond is as wrong as to fall short.
Life
is really simple, but men insist on making it complicated.
The man of wisdom is never in two minds
about right and wrong; the man of benevolence never worries about the
future; the man of courage is never afraid.
The superior man is distressed by the
limitations of his ability; he is not distressed by the fact that men do
not recognize the ability that he has.
The Three Armies can be deprived of their
commanding officer, but even a common man cannot be deprived of his
purpose.
The superior man, when resting in safety,
does not forget that danger may come. When in a state of security he
does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does
not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered,
and his States and all their clans are preserved.
The superior man cannot be known in little
matters, but he may be entrusted with great concerns. The small man may
not be entrusted with great concerns, but he may be known in little
matters.
There is one single thread binding my way
together...the way of the Master consists in
doing one’s best...that is all.
It is easy to hate and it is difficult to
love. This is how the whole scheme of things works. All good things are
difficult to achieve; and bad things are very easy to get.
If you think in terms of a year, plant a
seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in terms of 100 years,
teach the people.
Knowledge,
Learning
I hear and I forget. I see and I
remember.
I do and I
understand.
I am not one who was born in the possession
of
→
knowledge; I am one who is fond of
antiquity, and earnest in seeking it there.
→
Learn as though
you would never be able to master it; hold it as though you would be in
fear of losing it.
By three methods we may learn wisdom:
First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is
easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.
Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance.
The more man
meditates upon good thoughts, the
better will be his world and the
world at large.
Study the past if you would divine the
future.
They must often
change who would be
constant in
→
happiness
or wisdom.
In a hamlet of ten households, there are
bound to be those who are my equal in doing their best for others and in
being trustworthy in what they say, but they are unlikely to be as eager
to learn as I am.
He who merely knows right principles is not
equal to him who loves them.
Learning
without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.
Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a
night without moon and star.
He who learns but does not
→
think
 , is lost! He who thinks but does not
learn is in great danger.
The essence of
knowledge is, having it, to
apply it; not having it, to confess your ignorance.
Even when walking in the company of two
other men, I am bound to be able to learn from them. The good points of
the one I copy; the bad points of the other I correct in myself.
The scholar who cherishes the love of
comfort is not fit to be deemed a scholar.
Those who do not study are only cattle
dressed up in men’s clothes.
The determined scholar and the man of
virtue will not seek to live at the expense of injuring their virtue.
They will even sacrifice their lives to preserve their virtue complete.
The man who in view of gain thinks of
righteousness; who in the view of danger is prepared to give up his
life; and who does not forget an old agreement however far back it
extends – such a man may be reckoned a complete man.
Look at the means which a man employs,
consider his motives, observe his pleasures. A man simply cannot conceal
himself!
The people may be made to follow a path of
→
action, but they may not be made to understand it.
While you are not able to serve men, how
can you serve spirits?...While you do not know
→
life, how can you know
about death?
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Confucius is a Chinese philosopher, moralist, and
reformer (B.C. 551 - 479). |
Since Confucius' teachings and philosophy was so
advanced, it was the education for China and the World for 2,000 years. It is
called
Confucianism. |
Confucius did not put into writing
the principles of his philosophy; these were handed down only through his
disciples. |
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